Other Hazardous Building Materials

In addition to products that contain asbestos and synthetic mineral fibre, many other hazardous materials may be present within buildings which may result in exposure risks during maintenance, refurbishment, demolition or, in some cases, during of normal occupancy of the building.

Such hazardous materials include:

• lead-based paints.
  
• chemical residues/stored chemical products.
  
• polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) in electrical equipment such as fluorescent light fitting capacitors and electrical transformers.
  
• ozone depleting substances (refrigerant gases).
  
• microbiological hazards (eg. human and animal excreta, syringes).
  
• microbiological and/or chemical hazards associated with cooling towers.
  
• coal tar pitch products.
  
• radiation sources such as smoke detectors and emergency lighting.